Goal: To become a professional resource for Jews and non-Jews to build a conscious relationship with death.

Objective: To create and deliver an adaptable presentation that invites people to begin to integrate the beauty, wisdom, power and peace

that accompany a greater awareness of death in the midst of life.

Introduction: Beginning with my own story, speaking of death in the context of life transitions, considering cultural approaches to and traditions surrounding death and highlighting the Jewish approach, and through the use of ceremony, I will invite people to explore ranges of death awareness with me.

Student Profile

Jean has been a member of the Chevra Kadisha in Portland, Maine for 3 years, and was part of the beginning of a community Chevra Kadisha in Fort Collins CO. Blessed to attend a number of deaths over the years, she also volunteered for Hospice in Colorado. Jean is completing a cycle of classes with the Gamliel Institute, the educational arm of Kavod v'Nichum (jewish-funerals.org), in order to be able to help educate others around Jewish traditions of death and mourning, and assist those who wish to organize in their community.

She will be offering presentations at their next annual conference in Austin, TX. In addition to speaking about Jewish traditions, Jean also speaks on cross-cultural approaches to death care to Interfaith audiences. She is a member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maine (http://www.fcamaine.net/).